From Eastern Europe to the other side of the planet — that is the challenging journey our featured artist has taken. Meet Marta Rzyska, a tattoo artist originally from Poland whose professional story began only after she moved to Australia. Today she lives and works in Sydney, seamlessly combining black & grey, horror, and color realism in her practice.
Her path into tattooing started with a bold decision — moving from Poland to Australia right after finishing school. It was a conscious step toward change and personal growth.
“I saw my friend posting photos from Australia and I thought what if I moved there. I never regretted doing that, as I believe life is about experiences.”
In Sydney, she returned to an idea that had lived within her since she was fourteen: becoming a tattoo artist. After securing an apprenticeship, she kept it secret for several months, almost as if testing herself. But after completing her first works, she knew she had found her profession. The beginning was not easy, yet later she joined Skin Deep Tattoo studio, where she found herself in a supportive and professional environment.
Marta’s creative background extends far beyond tattooing. Drawing had been an essential part of her life since childhood, and her experience in makeup artistry and 3D design gave her a strong understanding of volume, light, and form construction.
At the core of Marta’s portfolio lies black & grey realism — she grew into her craft through it, and monochrome remains highly popular in Australia. In such projects, she focuses on technique, precision, and composition.
“When I do black and grey it’s more like drawing with pencils, which was something I’ve been doing since I was a child.”
Despite trends, Marta always wanted to emphasize her work through color — and today her portfolio clearly reflects that passion.
“When I tattoo in color I feel like I’m painting and I like to have fun with it. ”
For an artist who works with imagery of nature, plants, and animals, color becomes one of the most powerful tools for conveying mood, depth, and realism. Marta enjoys watching how, layer by layer, color transforms an idea into a complete image.
“Nature is just something people will always be drawn to, we’re a part of it no matter how advanced technology we have”
A significant part of Marta’s portfolio is devoted to vivid fantasy narratives and dark horror themes: “That’s what I’ve always loved to read and watch. I adore old vampire movies, I love horror and thrillers, and I enjoyed immersing myself in the worlds of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I use these influences because they’re close to my heart.”
One of Marta’s most striking and mesmerizing works is a colorful fantasy composition created at a tattoo expo in Brisbane. The client was looking for an empowering image, and a portrait of Lilith — a symbol of transformation and feminine strength — became the perfect match. Both the concept and the final tattoo resonated deeply.
“I genuinely care about my clients’ experience, so it means a lot to me knowing that my work has brought something good into their lives.”
Another significant milestone in Marta’s career was a one-day collaboration with a friend at an expo in Sydney, where they merged neo-traditional aesthetics with color realism in a stunning female portrait with a snake.
Participation in tattoo conventions has been an important part of Marta Rzyska’s professional journey almost from the very beginning of her career. From her early years in the industry, she regularly took part in major tattoo events across Australia, including Australian Tattoo Expo, Rites of Passage, SEQ Tattoo & Art Show in Brisbane, and Iron Gate Tattoo Convention in Sydney.
These events have given her the opportunity to share her work, observe the evolution of the industry, and connect with tattoo artists from different countries. After a forced break during the pandemic, she returned to the convention scene, where her tattoos continue to attract attention from both audiences and fellow artists thanks to the striking combination of realism, horror aesthetics, and fantasy imagery that has become a defining feature of her portfolio.
She currently works at Kailua Tattoo Studio, occasionally traveling for guest sessions, and particularly values environments where strong artists support one another and share similar professional values. Her plans include diving deeper into dark fantasy, blending realism with a mystical atmosphere and potentially incorporating more surreal elements into her work.
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